Radio Interference From LED Lights

   / Radio Interference From LED Lights #31  
I am not familar with RF issues relative to LED's. A tyical LED is driven with a DC voltage source. The diode usually will excite (emit light) at around 3vdc-4vdc and perform at peak outut at arround 5 - 18vdc. If the LED is powered by an AC source it will have a built in transformer driver circuit that converts the 120vac line source to 12vdc. This might be where the rf is being generated and if so I have no idea of how to suppress it.

They don't have transformer base power supplies. They use switching power supplies. Hence the problems with RFI generation. All of my Cree bulbs seem to be RFI free. At least from any that I can find in hunting from around 300 khz to over 50Mhz. The Cree bulbs have went thru several iterations and changes in design in a short time. and I haven't needed to buy any lately, so I can't swear that they haven't cheapened the design, but all I have (3 separate designs) are clean.
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights
  • Thread Starter
#32  
Does anyone have an answer to this? Supertaster, did you figure out a solution to your radio interference? I just recently installed 4" LED's on the front and rear of my tractor and also ended up with radio interference. I have found quite a bit of people saying they have the same issue but have not found any definite solutions. Sounds like the ferrite cores work for some and not for others.

Hi. No I didn't get anywhere. I will be active on it again now that plow season is on again. I couldn't decide what to order to try out and just put the issue on the back burner.
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights #33  
Hi. No I didn't get anywhere. I will be active on it again now that plow season is on again. I couldn't decide what to order to try out and just put the issue on the back burner.

Try putting some .1 microfarad disc ceramic capacitors at least a 200 volt volt rating across the power leads of your 12 volt LED lights right up close to the lights, or if you can open the housing and put it back together again right where the power lead come in. These capacitors are not polarity sensitive. Before you solder them in, you can touch them across the 12 volt + and - leads and see if they help. They should make a big difference.
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights #34  
Engineers that cut corners, and engineer products that create RF energy that are not supposed to radiate anything but light, when during the design process these problems can be easily mitigated by proper application of bypass capacitors and inline choke filters just to save a few cents per unit should be taken out and horsewhipped.

These problems have reared their ugly heads because our regulatory agency's have in no way enforced the standards that were set long ago for incidental unintentional RF radiation. The invention and rise of the switching powers supply to supplant linear transformer based supplies in the last few decades to produce cheap lightweight and compact power supplies have become the norm.

Switching power supplies have totally taken over now, and most devices in my home have switching power supplies, and I have spent many hours and much money solving the problems they cause to radio reception. Most people don't know or care that their "chargers" and power supplies emit RF energy, but I do.

But to have a simple 12 volt LED light bar produce enough RFI to affect the Mobile broadcast receiver in a tractor is disgusting and totally uncalled for and unnecessary and would be easy to mitigate at the design level. It is much more difficult to "retrofit" anything than it is to design it correctly in the first place.
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights
  • Thread Starter
#35  
Try putting some .1 microfarad disc ceramic capacitors at least a 200 volt volt rating across the power leads of your 12 volt LED lights right up close to the lights, or if you can open the housing and put it back together again right where the power lead come in. These capacitors are not polarity sensitive. Before you solder them in, you can touch them across the 12 volt + and - leads and see if they help. They should make a big difference.

Hey, thanks for the information and education. It certainly seems to be a shift in economics and non-existent repercussions that has driven the corporations to belittle the role of quality control and end-user experience.

After the New Year I will look to attack the problem again.
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights #36  
Hey, thanks for the information and education. It certainly seems to be a shift in economics and non-existent repercussions that has driven the corporations to belittle the role of quality control and end-user experience.

After the New Year I will look to attack the problem again.

let me know if you need help. I wouldn't mind helping you over the phone if you need it. I have over 50 years of electronics experience. I will help you if I can.
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights
  • Thread Starter
#37  
Thank you. That is a very generous offer. Happy New Year!
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights #38  
Engineers that cut corners, and engineer products that create RF energy that are not supposed to radiate anything but light, when during the design process these problems can be easily mitigated by proper application of bypass capacitors and inline choke filters just to save a few cents per unit should be taken out and horsewhipped.

These problems have reared their ugly heads because our regulatory agency's have in no way enforced the standards that were set long ago for incidental unintentional RF radiation. The invention and rise of the switching powers supply to supplant linear transformer based supplies in the last few decades to produce cheap lightweight and compact power supplies have become the norm.

Switching power supplies have totally taken over now, and most devices in my home have switching power supplies, and I have spent many hours and much money solving the problems they cause to radio reception. Most people don't know or care that their "chargers" and power supplies emit RF energy, but I do.

But to have a simple 12 volt LED light bar produce enough RFI to affect the Mobile broadcast receiver in a tractor is disgusting and totally uncalled for and unnecessary and would be easy to mitigate at the design level. It is much more difficult to "retrofit" anything than it is to design it correctly in the first place.
Lol, I never noticed your handle before, always assumed it was Kubota or Kioti related. Callsign I'm assuming? N7HKR myself, bagged by exra this year.
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights #39  
Lol, I never noticed your handle before, always assumed it was Kubota or Kioti related. Callsign I'm assuming? N7HKR myself, bagged by exra this year.

I never knew you were "one of us", :) Yep, I have been KØUA since 1975. Congratulations on getting your Extra.
 
   / Radio Interference From LED Lights #40  
Interesting note, while we are talking LED lights, was on the Geochron site the other day dreaming about their highly priced wall clocks and they have upgraded and can upgrade all the old models to LED lighting. But there is one model still made for Amateur Radio use and it is using the old tube fluorescent system, and no mention of CFLs as they would probably match the LEDs for QRM.

David
 

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